Weather Procedures & Information

Salina USD 305 may close school, schedule a two-hour delayed start time or allow early dismissal in extreme weather. The superintendent of schools will make the decision after consulting with the bus company and the director of operations.

The media will only announce school closures authorized by the superintendent of schools or his/her designee. All announcements are for one day only. If no announcement is made, school will convene or dismiss at the regularly scheduled time.

School Closing or Delayed Start

Every effort will be made to make the decision by 5:00 a.m. on the day schools will be closed or delayed. Breakfast will not be served on days when a two-hour delayed start time is scheduled and there will be no choice lunch option at elementary schools. 

Develop An Emergency Plan

Parents and care givers should establish an emergency plan for children in the event that schools are closed or start late. Children should be instructed on what to do if a parent or care giver is not at home.

Parents have the option to keep children home when weather conditions are extreme. The absence will be excused as long as the parent has followed normal procedures for reporting a school absence.

Bus Stops

Parents and care givers should meet students at bus stops when buses are running on emergency schedules or during times of extreme weather. If the safety of a student is in question the bus driver will return the student back to school and the parent or care giver will be notified.

Skylert Rapid Notification

School closures or delayed start announcements will be delivered by text, email and phone through the Skylert notification system. 

Website

School closures or delayed start announcements will be posted on the district's web site at www.usd305.com. 

Media Announcements

Parents, students and staff should listen to radio or television for school closure information beginning at 5 a.m. The media will only announce school closures authorized by the superintendent of schools or his/her designee. All announcements are for one day only. If no announcement is made, school will convene or dismiss at the regularly-scheduled time.

The safety of all students, staff and visitors is a top priority for Salina Public Schools. Weather-related emergencies are of special concern during the spring months. For most weather-related activities it is not necessary to close schools. For example, we do not close for tornado watches or warnings. We have emergency procedures that we follow for these situations. We practice these procedures with our students and staff on a regular basis.

During the School Day

 If a tornado warning (meaning a tornado has been sighted) is issued, students and school employees take refuge in the storm shelters until an "all clear" is given by emergency preparedness officials. We discourage any student being removed by a parent or guardian from the storm shelter during a tornado warning.

Bus Routes

If a tornado warning (meaning a tornado has been sighted) is issued while students are on buses, the buses will proceed to the nearest school and students will take cover in that school's storm shelter. Once emergency officials have issued an “all clear,” bus routes will resume and students will be returned safely home. 

Communication 

Communication is critical during any crisis. The school district uses the School Messenger to email, call and text parents about emergencies. Information is posted on the district's social accounts such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The district also uses Salina-area media, including radio, online news and television stations, to update parents during emergency situations. 

It is not necessary to call the school to inform us that a tornado or thunderstorm warning/watch has been issued. All schools carefully monitor weather conditions through multiple sources, including:

• NOAA weather radio (with alarm system)
• The Weather Channel
• Direct contact with Saline County Emergency Management Officials

Generally, the schools get severe weather alerts before they are broadcast on TV or radio. By the time you are notified at home we have already activated emergency procedures at school.

After-School and Extra-Curricular Activities

During periods of severe weather, students will not be allowed outside to participate in after-school activities or extra-curricular events. We also monitor weather conditions in other parts of the state before allowing students to travel to any extra-curricular activities. It is possible that we will cancel our participation in events if we believe travel conditions to be life-threatening.

On some days, the start of school may be delayed because of weather. This option may be used if snowy roads could be cleared given a few hours or if wind chills are too low during the early morning but temperatures are expected to warm up within a few hours.

The advantage of a delayed start is that we can minimize the loss of instruction while maintaining the safety of students and staff.

Whether a school cancellation or a delayed start is announced, the district will communicate as soon as possible using its rapid notification system. Notifications will be sent to families and staff via phone, email and text. (Parents and guardians are encouraged to update their contact information in Skyward.)

Details of a delayed start:

• Bus routes: General education and special education bus routes will proceed on a 2-hour delay.
• Pre-K: Morning classes will be cancelled. Afternoon classes will run as normal.
• Foodservice: Breakfast will not be served and there will not be a choice lunch option at elementary schools.
• Elementary Band/Strings: Band/strings at elementary schools will be cancel.
• Heartland: a.m. Pre-K will be cancelled. Breakfast will not be served.
• Salina Adult Education Center: All a.m. sessions and any GED testing scheduled for the day will be cancelled.

Changes to the school schedule are not taken lightly. While calling cancellation and delayed-start days creates inconveniences for families and impacts instruction time, upholding the safety of students and staff is our priority.

As always, the final decision about your students’ safety is yours. If you choose to keep your student home when inclement weather occurs and school is in session, please contact the school attendance office and follow the procedures to report an absence.